Dragon Ball FighterZ threatens to permanently ban players who rage-quit

An update for Bandai Namco fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ is threatening players who disconnect from matches — or rage-quit — with extensive bans. In some cases, players who disconnect from matches may find themselves permanently banned from online play.

According to an in-game message posted on Monday, Bandai Namco and developer Arc System Works “will now be imposing restrictions on players who deliberately disconnect during online matches.” Those restrictions include being banned from entering online lobbies for “about one week.” Banned players can still play the game offline.

“If a players is found to be repeatedly engaging in the above behavior, the restriction mentioned above may become permanent for that player,” the message reads.

Reaction from players to the change, based on the Dragon Ball FighterZ subreddit, appears positive.

Quitting games mid-match, typically when a player is losing, is a persistent problem in competitive games. In fighting games, developers have tried a variety of solutions to deter players from quitting matches, including putting them in quitter’s jail, shaming them with display badges, and making their heads explode (in game, of course).

Dragon Ball FighterZ is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One. The Dragon Ball fighting game is in its third season, with Master Roshi scheduled to join the roster in September.